Sen. JOHN F. KERRY, D-Mass., greets students and member of the community as part of his appearance on MSNBC's "Hardball."

Senator John F. Kerry, D-Mass., came out firing against President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq on “Hardball: Battle for the Whitehouse,” which aired live to tens of millions of viewers from the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum last night.

Kerry continued to straddle pro-war and anti-war camps, saying Bush failed to exhaust his diplomacy options before declaring war but also insisting that countries like Iraq, Iran and North Korea must be aggressively contained.

Throughout the nationally-televised appearance, he stressed his willingness to be tough, frequently referencing his status as a decorated Vietnam veteran.

Many observers said they felt Kerry’s sometimes jovial, sometimes pugnacious demeanor in the interview helped combat criticism that he is aloof and tends to give vague, political answers.

Famously blunt “Hardball” host Chris Matthews sharply questioned Kerry about his middle-of-the-road stance on the war, but Kerry stood by his answers.

Despite intermittent sparring with Matthews, the senator was amiable and outgoing throughout his appearance.

Kerry worked his way through the crowd shaking hands before the interview began, chatted with audience members during commercial breaks and joked frequently with Matthews off-air.

Kerry said he would aggressively battle both his Democratic rivals and Bush, telling the audience that he could win as a Massachusetts liberal.

Referencing the failed 1988 presidential bid of former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, Kerry asserted that Dukakis lost because he didn’t “fight back,” not because of a voter bias against liberal northeastern candidate “The labels are not what are important,” he said. “I’m going to go right at this president and remind him that I know something about aircraft carriers.”

David R. Gergen, director of the Center of Public Leadership and an advisor to four presidents, said Kerry looked more relaxed than in previous public appearances, leading him to come off better.

Nicholas F.B. Smyth ’05, president of Students for Kerry, said Kerry’s friendly socializing with the crowd “dispelled the myths of aloofness” that have dogged him throughout the campaign so far. Smyth is also a Crimson editor.

Kerry is trying to gain ground on former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the polls as the presidential race heads into the New Hampshire primary.

Kerry was the frontrunner until this summer when he lost momentum to Dean, who now leads in New Hampshire with 25 percent of the voters on his side. About 19 percent of New Hampshire voters are Kerry supporters, according to a poll released yesterday by WHDH-TV and Suffolk University.

“My sense is that after a slower start than many had expected, he’s beginning to find his voice—he’s beginning to move,” Gergen said. “The issue for him is can he move fast enough to catch up in Iowa or New Hampshire or both.”

Last night’s show was the second installment in the “Battle for the White House” series, which premiered last week with Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., to 31.4 million viewers nationwide.